1912 



VERBENA 



VERB EX A 



cies was doubtless used in hybridizing, but its distinc- 

 tive characters are now practically obliterated in the 

 forms of V. hybrida. 



Verbena teucrioides is a species of strikingly differ- 

 ent characters from the three preceding and one which 

 has exerted a most profound influence upon many 

 races of V. hybrida. Five plants flowered in Ireland in 

 July or August, 1838. This species is easily distin- 

 guishable by its spikes of white flowers, which emit a 

 rich .jessamine fragrance, its recurved, coarsely crenate, 

 sessile leaves, and its stiff upright habit of growth. 

 The characters of V. teucrioides are apparent in many 

 forms of our V. hybrida, notably so in many of the 

 blue "oculatas." Of the four species thus far men- 

 tioned, V. teucrioides alone is still cultivated in a dis- 

 tinct specific form. 



These four species seem to be the only ones which 

 have had a marked and permanent influence upon our 



improve it that a great number of horticultural varieties 

 soon appeared and English varietal names gradually 

 superseded the unwieldy quasi-botanical ones. All the 

 species, except V. teucrioides, seem to have soon lost 

 their specific identity and to have completely merged in 

 V. hybrida. The additions made through the four or five 

 years following 183C were astonishing, as we find in 

 1840 upwards of 40 kinds enumerated, while in 1844 a 

 single list contained the names of over 200 varieties. 



In 1839 Robert Buist, Sr., of Philadelphia, introduced 

 the leading forms to America. Robert Buist, Jr., states 

 positively that these were obtained from England. It 

 is sometimes erroneously stated that Buist obtained 

 seeds directly from South America. He seems to have 

 been for years the leading Verbena grower and hy- 

 bridizer in America. It is impossible from the meager 

 American literature, to discern any striking difference 

 between the trend of development in America and in 



2649. The four prototypes of the garden Verbenas, faithfully redrawn from early colored plates. 



From left to right: T. chama-dry folia, chief parent of the reds; 

 the rosy and purple colors; and V. teucrioides, a white flower which 

 fragrance of the hybrid Verbenas. 



present races of Verbena. I', tenera and V. Aubletia 

 have probably been used occasionally by florists in hy- 

 bridizing, but they belong to a different section of the 

 genus, some of their hybrids seldom produce seeds and 

 their influence, if any, has been slight and transient. 



With the successful introduction of V. teucrioides in 

 1838, Verbena lovers had a most promising start for the 

 development of a splendid group of garden plants. 

 They possessed four species, the great variability of 

 which gave opportunity for limitless selection, and the 

 close affinities of which afforded the most favorable op- 

 portunities for profitable hybridizing. I", chamozdry- 

 folia provided one of the richest scarlets in nature, V. 

 vhlogiflora and V. incisa provided various tints of 

 rose and purple, V. teucrioides gave white with a rather 

 elusive [suggestion of yellow. V. chamoydry folia was 

 of prostrate habit; V. teucrioides was stiff and upright; 

 the other two species were intermediate. V. teucrioides 

 was possessed of a rich perfume. 



Early Period of Hybridizing and Selection, 1838- 

 1S48. — Selection and hybridizing had already begun in 

 1838 and had been rewarded with the production of 

 "several excellent varieties." The first of these were 

 given trinomial Latin names. The Verbena gained 

 popularity so rapidly and so many efforts were made to 



Britain. In his "Directory" of 1845, Buist mentions the 

 fact that some of the better varieties have flowers as 

 "large as a dime, far outvying those cultivated a few 

 years ago." In 1854 he speaks of new varieties of "per- 

 fect formation" and "flowers as large as a quarter dol- 

 lar," and as "good as the titled English varieties." 

 Doubtless the Verbena was developed to a higher degree 

 of perfection as an exhibition flower in Britain than in 

 America. 



Period of Greatest Popularity, 1S48-1S68. -The Ver- 

 bena was fast winning favor as one of the most popu- 

 lar of bedding plants. Its history as an exhibition plant 

 began about 1850 and reached its zenith in 1868, when 

 the Verbena was at the greatest height of popularity. 

 It was in this year that the Royal Horticultural Society 

 of England awarded premiums to 17 varieties. Its 

 height of popularity as a bedding plant was reached 

 some years before this, possibly as early as 1800, for 

 there seems to have been a growing opinion unfavor- 

 able to it as a bedding plant as early as 1861. 



Period of Decline and Partial Recovery, 1S6S-1900.- 

 About 1870 the Verbena took a precipitous decline in 

 public favor. There were many causes that conspired 

 to its downfall, but chief among these were: 



(1) A number of other plants captured the capricious 



